We’ve reached the end of the junior circuit portion of the One Move series, and what a ride it’s been. We’ve laughed. We’ve cried. We’ve learned. We’ve argued about the relative worth of a two-WARP pitcher. And, we’re all the better for it.

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There's no doubt that Mike Trout is the cream of the fantasy crop, but which other Halos could bolster your squad?

For the second year in a row, aggressive free agent spending led to high expectations that the Angels didn’t deliver on—both on the field and for their fantasy squads. The club’s 78-84 finish in 2013 led to the team’s worst record in 10 years. While there were some solid performances by a few key performers, the Angels were a victim of injuries to aging veterans and a lack of depth in the starting lineup. This wasn’t a fantasy black hole (no team with Mike Trout in the fold can be considered bereft of fantasy usefulness), but if you invested big in the Angels in 2013, there is a good chance you were disappointed.

Will 2014 be a transitional year for LA or will the Angels climb back into contention? Here is an early sneak peak at what we anticipate for the Angels next season.

What do MLB front office types think of the Trout-or-Cabrera MVP debate?

Mike Trout or Miguel Cabrera? It’s the bacon-or-cheese argument of the 2012 major league season, a decision that is weighted in preference rather than a universally recognized consensus. Both players have historic cases to make, just as the fatty pig meat and the pressed curds of milk are each historic in their deliciousness. On one hand, you have a rookie sensation whose electricity could power Paris, a player with an unprecedented debut campaign that draws comparisons to a young Mickey Mantle, only better, which isn’t exactly normal. This generational performance just happens to share a space with another generational performance, a statistical feat of such lore and reverence that the mere hunt and proximity to such an accomplishment is worthy of high praise and metallic hardware. Miguel Cabrera is the most feared hitter in the game, and when the dust settled on the 2012 season, his out-of-fashion slash line made him the winner of the Triple Crown, the first of its kind in the American League since 1967, which isn’t exactly normal either.

My head swims when I read about the absolutes of the game, my thoughts beaten down by the weight of the value argument, the binary answer to a question without a clear path to certainty. We all approach the game with different eyes, forming conclusions based on explosive mixtures of subjectivity and concrete data. Without a perfect recipe for value, we each make our own cocktails that are heavily rooted in our own experiences, be they on the field or on the computer screen. I’m not here to present one side of the argument over the other, or to paint one side of the fence a color that will instigate condemnation from a disapproving majority; the baseball industry doesn’t wear one suit, and when I polled ten contacts to get their take on the Trout/Cabrera debate, the answers were as diverse as the job titles next to their name. From the top of the industry food chain to the bottom, I asked a simple question of value, which yielded a surprisingly close vote.

Ben and Sam revisit the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels in light of Haren's down year and Tyler Skaggs' debut for the Diamondbacks, then talk about how Derek Jeter has remained productive at age 38 and examine whether the Yankees are in any trouble in the AL East.

Ben and Sam revisit the trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels in light of Haren's down year and Tyler Skaggs' debut for the Diamondbacks, then talk about how Derek Jeter has remained productive at age 38 and examine whether the Yankees are in any trouble in the AL East.

Jay is back, and he still hates the teams you root for. Yes, even the Dodgers.

Six weeks ago, when I accepted an offer to start a new blog at Sports Illustrated's website, I was delighted to find that my new employers were willing to allow me to retain some involvement with Baseball Prospectus. Not only did I wish to continue working with this fine staff and its readers in some capacity, but I also really wanted to finish something I'd started—namely, my multi-installment Hate List.

The keys to the Angels' recent success and the Rangers' downturn could be the fortunes of two superstars and two ex-Padres.

The Rangers started 2012 strong. The Angels did the opposite. Premature conclusions were drawn. Then the two teams' fortunes reversed. There are many reasons for this shift. One is the play of the teams' superstars. Another is the acquisition and emergence of a key arm in Anaheim. These aren't the only factors, but they are among the most intriguing and are the ones we'll focus on today.

Remember the “Rangers are running away with the American League West” narrative from April, when it appeared that they were, in fact, running away with the division? Well, that narrative broke and has been replaced by the ever-popular “it's a long season” and “that's why they play the games.”

After completing a three-game sweep of the Nationals in D.C., the Yankees are starting to look like the real Bronx Bombers.

The Weekend Takeaway
The Yankees and Nationals both came into this weekend’s series at Nationals Park on six-game winning streaks. But after Danny Espinosa grounded out to end Sunday’s finale, New York was on cloud nine and Washington was three in the hole.

Though the Dodgers have one more win than the Yankees and four more than the Nationals, by most measures, the teams that squared off in the nation’s capital this past weekend were the two best in baseball right now. After a month and a half of lurking in the background and struggling to find a rhythm, Joe Girardi’s squad has resoundingly announced its presence with the recent surge.